Gabapentin dosing confusion

[rica2022]

Hi,
This is my first time posting, so please let me know if I'm doing anything wrong. I'm trying to use Gabapentin while I take a break from benzos (I've developed a tolerance to them and they hardly work for me at this point), and I'm hoping to get a sedating and relaxing effect from it. But since it was prescribed, I was taking high doses (in the low 2000s), because that's my personality type -- I always figure the more, the better (I need to work on this). On those doses, instead of getting relaxed I was getting super stimulated, and kept needing benzos to bring me down, thus defeating the purpose. Today I'd really like to use the Gabapentin to relax me instead. But I don't know how much will be enough to get me relaxed but not so much that it stimulates me. By now I've probably stupidly built a tolerance, so I know I'll need a somewhat sizable dose to feel anything, but I don't know the line between sedating and stimulating. I'm prescribed 300mg three times a day, but I don't know if that will be enough to feel anything after my large doses. Does anyone have any advice? I'm not looking to get "high" in any way, just to calm down at night because I suffer from severe anxiety.
Many thanks for your time and assistance!

 

[rica2022]

Oh, and just to clarify, I've been taking the high doses for about a week and a half, if that helps.

 

[MsDiz]

Hi,
This is my first time posting, so please let me know if I'm doing anything wrong. I'm trying to use Gabapentin while I take a break from benzos (I've developed a tolerance to them and they hardly work for me at this point), and I'm hoping to get a sedating and relaxing effect from it. But since it was prescribed, I was taking high doses (in the low 2000s), because that's my personality type -- I always figure the more, the better (I need to work on this). On those doses, instead of getting relaxed I was getting super stimulated, and kept needing benzos to bring me down, thus defeating the purpose. Today I'd really like to use the Gabapentin to relax me instead. But I don't know how much will be enough to get me relaxed but not so much that it stimulates me. By now I've probably stupidly built a tolerance, so I know I'll need a somewhat sizable dose to feel anything, but I don't know the line between sedating and stimulating. I'm prescribed 300mg three times a day, but I don't know if that will be enough to feel anything after my large doses. Does anyone have any advice? I'm not looking to get "high" in any way, just to calm down at night because I suffer from severe anxiety.
Many thanks for your time and assistance!

Are you physically addicted to benzos? I would worry that stopping cold turkey could be quite dangerous.

As to the gabapentin, taking more than 600/900mg at a time is a waste as there is a saturation limit. As it takes quite a while for it to work you need to dose a low amount ever few hours, I’d say 2/3 hours between doses. Taking 300mg every 2 hours and wait to see how you feel before dosing again. This means being patient and assessing how you feel. I’d try 300mg every 2 hours for about 6 hours and see how you feel then.

Be aware tolerance goes up quickly with gabapentin and you can also become physically addicted to it. Withdrawing from it is not nice so I wouldn’t use it everyday.

 

[rica2022]

Thanks so much for responding so quickly. I had read about the staggering, but I was only leaving half an hour between doses when I was getting so stimulated; do you think two hours instead would result in more sedation? Would one hour be enough? I'm really anxious and don't want to wait so long for relief. As for the benzos, I don't think I'm physically dependent, just psychologically, but I don't know for sure. I just don't want to waste any pills on tapering since they're not working for anxiety.

 

[MsDiz]

Thanks so much for responding so quickly. I had read about the staggering, but I was only leaving half an hour between doses when I was getting so stimulated; do you think two hours instead would result in more sedation? Would one hour be enough? I'm really anxious and don't want to wait so long for relief. As for the benzos, I don't think I'm physically dependent, just psychologically, but I don't know for sure. I just don't want to waste any pills on tapering since they're not working for anxiety.

Well it depends how much of the benzo you have been taking and for how long.

2 hours is a better time frame to be honest and taking them with a fatty type meal will help also.

Thing is within gabapentin, it does take a while to kick in and you really need to be patient.

 

[rica2022]

Yes, I'm definitely learning that I need to be patient. I think the reason I was ending up with such high doses is that I wasn't patient and wasn't waiting long enough between doses. What is the difference in effect between one and two hours? Is two hours more likely to ensure full bioavailability, or is the purpose to give it time to see if I feel relaxed from it? Now I'm a little worried about going cold-turkey off my Xanax. If I were to take a small amount of that today too, when would you advise scheduling it in relation to the Gabapentin? If they would work together to relax me, how could I make that happen, rather than just waste a dose of Xanax that isn't working? When the Gabapentin was causing stimulation, it didn't work with the Xanax to relax me; the two seemed to cancel each other other.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Are you physically addicted to benzos? I would worry that stopping cold turkey could be quite dangerous.

As to the gabapentin, taking more than 600/900mg at a time is a waste as there is a saturation limit. As it takes quite a while for it to work you need to dose a low amount ever few hours, I’d say 2/3 hours between doses. Taking 300mg every 2 hours and wait to see how you feel before dosing again. This means being patient and assessing how you feel. I’d try 300mg every 2 hours for about 6 hours and see how you feel then.

Be aware tolerance goes up quickly with gabapentin and you can also become physically addicted to it. Withdrawing from it is not nice so I wouldn’t use it everyday.

There is so much wrong with this post.

Gabapentin has a half-life of 7 hours. If you dose every 2 hours you're going to end up with way too much in your system.

The dose for alcohol withdrawal is 900 to 1800 mg per day divided into three doses.

For neuropathic pain it does take days to weeks to work. However, for alcohol withdrawal, the benefits are seen immediately.

Again, if you were taking high doses of benzodiazepines, you run the risk of potentially fatal withdrawal syndrome. Gabapentin will not help a severe benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome.

 

[Xorkoth]

The effects of gabapentin simply are not analogous to benzos. They're quite dissimilar drugs. In fact, gabapentin doesn't even work on the GABA system (despite its name) like benzos do. Instead, it is a voltage-gated calcium ion channel blocker. Gabapetin is somewhat stimulating, somewhat relaxing. That's simply the nature of its effects. You won't be able to take more or less and find that it relaxes you like benzos do.

That said, I will say one thing. Gabapentin can work fairly well to help reduce the withdrawal from benzos. I would only try to rely on it for this effect if you are only lightly addicted to benzos, however, because a heavy benzo dependence will result in very dangerous and powerful withdrawals. But several users on this forum, in the past, have used gabapentin (or pregabalin/Lyrica, which is a related drug that works by the same mechanism as gabapentin, but is stronger) to come down off of short-term binges of etizolam (a benzo). I have found gabapentin (and even moreso, pregabalin) to work wonders against opiate and GABAergic withdrawals.

Gabapentin sounds like it would affect the GABA system like benzos do, but the name comes from its structural similarity to the neurotransmitter GABA. Despite this structural similarity, it works via a different system.

 

[Xorkoth]

Gabapentin has a half-life of 7 hours. If you dose every 2 hours you're going to end up with way too much in your system.

Actually gabapentin absorbs through an amino acid transporter in the small intestine. It is rate-limited as to how much can be absorbed this way, so taking more than 600mg at a time is, indeed, a waste. Look up gabapentin absorption by dose. At 300mg it is absorbed at a very high pecentage, but by the time you reach 1200mg, it goes down to like 30%. The rest that can't be absorbed because the transporter is saturated simply travels through your small intestine and exits the terminal end of it (ie, your asshole) without being absorbed.

Gabapentin is best absorbed by taking 300mg every 30-45 minutes. it absorbs better, unlike almost everyone other drug, if you take it after eating a fatty meal or snack (vs on an empty stomach).

See this study:

https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2009/020235s041,020882s028,021129s027lbl.pdf

At 900mg/day in 3 divided doses (ie, 300mg at a time), absorption was 60%. At 1200mg per day in 3 divided doses, ie, 400mg at a time, absorption was 47%. At 2400mg (800mg per dose), it's 34%. At 3600mg (1200mg per dose), it's 33% (suggesting not much difference between 800 and 1200mg per dose, ie, that extra 400mg is doing nothing), and at 4800mg per day (1600mg per dose), absorption is 27% (meaning that ~3500mg of your gabapentin is not even reaching your brain at all and just coming out in your poop).

I haven't found that you need to wait 2 hours between doses though... 45 minutes is enough.

 

[paranoid android]

Gaba is a piss poor substitute for benzos imo. like ya its a anti convulsant so it will reduce the risk of seizure but so would alot of other meds to. Id only use gaba in place of benzos if i had no other option really as it's dangerous to go cold turkey

 

[Jabberwocky]

The effects of gabapentin simply are not analogous to benzos. They're quite dissimilar drugs. In fact, gabapentin doesn't even work on the GABA system (despite its name) like benzos do. Instead, it is a voltage-gated calcium ion channel blocker. Gabapetin is somewhat stimulating, somewhat relaxing. That's simply the nature of its effects. You won't be able to take more or less and find that it relaxes you like benzos do.

That said, I will say one thing. Gabapentin can work fairly well to help reduce the withdrawal from benzos. I would only try to rely on it for this effect if you are only lightly addicted to benzos, however, because a heavy benzo dependence will result in very dangerous and powerful withdrawals. But several users on this forum, in the past, have used gabapentin (or pregabalin/Lyrica, which is a related drug that works by the same mechanism as gabapentin, but is stronger) to come down off of short-term binges of etizolam (a benzo). I have found gabapentin (and even moreso, pregabalin) to work wonders against opiate and GABAergic withdrawals.

Gabapentin sounds like it would affect the GABA system like benzos do, but the name comes from its structural similarity to the neurotransmitter GABA. Despite this structural similarity, it works via a different system.

Gabapentin acutely increases gaba levels in the brain. Yes, it does not act on the The GABA A. Or B Receptors, however, it does raise gaba levels.

 

[MsDiz]

There is so much wrong with this post.

Gabapentin has a half-life of 7 hours. If you dose every 2 hours you're going to end up with way too much in your system.

The dose for alcohol withdrawal is 900 to 1800 mg per day divided into three doses.

For neuropathic pain it does take days to weeks to work. However, for alcohol withdrawal, the benefits are seen immediately.

Again, if you were taking high doses of benzodiazepines, you run the risk of potentially fatal withdrawal syndrome. Gabapentin will not help a severe benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome.

I didn’t say to dose it all day though did I? I suggested the OP take 300mg every 2 hours for 6 hours meaning the max dose would be 900mg which I feel is more than enough to gauge how they are reacting to it.

@Xorkoth reply is spot on and he is right, 45 mins to an hour is probably a better option of dosing timing. I have gastroparesis so 2 hours is the time I need for it to absorb and gauge effects.

Now I'm a little worried about going cold-turkey off my Xanax

How much Xanax were you taking and for how long? This is the much more pressing question.

 

[rica2022]

I was (and am still) prescribed 1mg four times a day and have been taking that dose for about three years.

 

[Lil'LinaptkSix]

I was (and am still) prescribed 1mg four times a day and have been taking that dose for about three years.

I would taper this dosage down slowly and diligently until I got to .5 or even .25mg a day before thinking of "jump off" meds but as stated the gabapentin may help with this dont build a tolerance before you need it, yes?
There is also blackseed oil (never tried it but there are some fairly convincing posts about this).
Kratom may help when dropping low dose benzos as the herb has many properties and one of these I find fairly "uplifting" and feel that kratom has many potentials when used for relief of not only aches and pains but also of the mind (my experience; YMMV).
I reread your OP and see that tolerance is basickly fucked to the gabapentin already. No judgements.

I suffer from severe anxiety.

What have you and doc decided on the plan to get this under "control" when you get off alprazolam and gabapentin?
Do you get the footballs 1mg or....?

 

[ImthatMFer]

It’d been brought to me that however gabapentin works the lower the dose the better it actually works this was from a medical professional of course it was translated in a different manner speaking on receptors n all that good stuff however I never applied such instead I’ll take 2 grams n it puts me down. Oddly I’ve been told by a few that if you take a couple grams you’ll be jacked n thought they were BSing me till reading this, maybe I’ve got a touch of ADD or something likewise

 

[MsDiz]

I was (and am still) prescribed 1mg four times a day and have been taking that dose for about three years.

You need to taper, do not cold turkey off that dose! Please speak to your Dr if you want to come off the Xanax but please do not stop taking it as it can be very dangerous.

 

[rica2022]

Thanks for all the replies! Sorry for taking so long to get back to this; I teach all day, so I'm super busy. I talked to my Dr about the situation, told her the whole thing, and I'm tapering down the Xanax by .25 every two days and waiting to see if the Gabapentin starts working. I've been spreading out my three doses throughout the whole day. Unfortunately, so far I'm not getting any anxiety relief from the Gabapentin, and it's only getting worse as the Xanax decreases :/

 

[deadhead4lyfe89]

Yes, I'm definitely learning that I need to be patient. I think the reason I was ending up with such high doses is that I wasn't patient and wasn't waiting long enough between doses. What is the difference in effect between one and two hours? Is two hours more likely to ensure full bioavailability, or is the purpose to give it time to see if I feel relaxed from it? Now I'm a little worried about going cold-turkey off my Xanax. If I were to take a small amount of that today too, when would you advise scheduling it in relation to the Gabapentin? If they would work together to relax me, how could I make that happen, rather than just waste a dose of Xanax that isn't working? When the Gabapentin was causing stimulation, it didn't work with the Xanax to relax me; the two seemed to cancel each other other.

Sometimes gabapentin makes you feel stimulated and other times it can be sedating and make you fall asleep even. The stimulation almost reminded me of being slightly manic or kind of like being on MDMA. But no where as amazing or intense as MDMA. But that’s just my experience and my friends.
I hope someone didn’t already say this. If anyone already has ,my bad and feel free to delete my comment.

 

[Nurse Ratched]

Sometimes gabapentin makes you feel stimulated and other times it can be sedating and make you fall asleep even. The stimulation almost reminded me of being slightly manic or kind of like being on MDMA. But that’s just my experience as my friends.
I hope someone didn’t already say this. If anyone already has ,my bad and feel free to delete my comment.

It did the same to me. If i would take it and then go to work ( busy pizza place ) I worked hard, real speedy, and got a lot done in a short amount of time. But if I took the same amount and was chilling on the couch in front of the TV it made me drowsy as hell. Weird drug that way.

And even if someone had made the same comment before we won't delete it. You can make as many comments as you want as long as they are following the gist of the thread.